Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/216

he turned too quick, the off-wheels went up the bank, the wagon rose sideways till it was qnite on edge upon the near axles, and out rolled the three maidens into the road in a heap.

"'When Tony came up, frightened and breathless, he was relieved enough to see that neither of his darlings was hart, beyond a few eoratches from the brambles of the hedge. Bat he was rather alarmed when he heard how they were going on at one another.

“'Don’t ye quarrel, my dears—don’t ye I’ says he, taking off his hat out of respect to em. And then he would have kissed them all round, as fair and square as a man could, but they were in too much of a taking to let him, and sereeched and sobbed till they was quite spent.

“Now, I'll speak out honest, because I ought to,’ says Tony, as soon as he could get heard. ‘And this is the trath,’ says he: ‘I’ve asked Hannah to be mine, and she is willing, and we are going to put up the banns next—’

“Tony had not noticed that Hannah’s father was coming up behind, nor had he noticed that Hannah’s face was beginning to bleed from the scratch of a bramble. Hannah had seen her father, and had run to him, orying worse than ever.

“' My daughter is noé willing, sir,’ says Mr. Jolliver, hot and strong. ‘Be you willing, Hannah? I ask ye to have spirit enough to refuse him, if yer virtue is left to see and you run no risk?

"'She’s as sound as a bell for me, that I'll swear !' says Tony, flaring up. ‘And so’s the others, come to that, though you may think it an onusual thing!’

“'I have spirit, and I do refuse him!’ says Hannah, partly because her father was there, and partly, too, in a tantrum because of the discovery and the scratch on her face. ‘ Little did I think when I was so soft